1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game program that makes a computer operate as a game executing means. The invention particularly relates to the game program in a game apparatus in which a character with a special ability having a specified effect on an object is made to come out in a game space instead of consuming an energy exclusive for a virtual skill at the time of performing the skill so that a game is conducted, a storage medium, and the game apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In game apparatuses having functions for conducting computer games such as so-called action games and role playing games, motions of leading characters and associate characters (player characters) in game images displayed on screens of display devices are controlled according to operation signals from input devices (controller pads) operated by players, so that stories of the games move ahead.
For example, in games where player characters grow up, ability values which are obtained by digitizing levels of various abilities such as offensive power, physical strength, magic power, defensive power, legerity and intellectual capability, and level values which represent growing-up levels of the player characters are set as parameters. When the player characters obtain predetermined experience quantity during the progress of the games, the level values of the player characters are increased, and the ability values are suitably updated according to operations selected by the players or predetermined algorithms, so that the corresponding abilities are improved.
There are many kinds of skills performed in response to operations of players, including basic skills such as offensive skills for attacking opponent characters using weapons, etc., so as to damage the opponent characters and defensive skills, special skills performed in sports games such as various ball games and snow surfing, special skills performed by vehicles themselves, special skills such as magic skills and knockout skills bringing on specified effects on objects, and the like.
In these skills, there are basic abilities consuming the energy at the time of performing skills, and special abilities consuming the specified energy for performing skills (hereinafter referred as “special abilities”). So-called magic skills and knockout skills are included in the energy consuming “special abilities”. An energy value (point value) representing the quantity of energy owned by a character is, for instance, expressed by MP (magic point) in the case of magic and by AP (action point) in the case of the knockout skill. Namely, these values MP and AP are set as special parameters to each character according to each system of the special abilities. A maximum value of the energy value (hereinafter referred as “EP”) owned by a character is increased according to a rise in the level of the character or when the character is equipped with special clothing accessories. The above EP is supplied when the character gets rest in an inn, in a special place, or by using restoring magic, or EP is restored naturally according to the passing of time.
The energy consumption (the amount of the energy consumed as an equivalent value for using a skill) of a special ability is predetermined according to the type of skills, and when the remaining quantity of the EP is less than the energy consumption of the skill desired to use, it is normal that the skill cannot be used.
A process relating to the special abilities in a conventional game apparatus is explained according to a flowchart of FIG. 1.
A command processing section of the game apparatus displays a menu of various commands on a monitor so as to prompt a player to input a command. When a command is selected by an operation of an operation button or the like (step S1), the command processing section determines whether the command instructed to a player character is a command of a special ability which consumes EP (hereinafter, “special command”) (step S2). When it is not the special command, the command processing section executes a process corresponding to the instructed normal command (step S3), and when it is the special command, the command processing section acquires a parameter value representing the remaining quantity of EP of the player character (step S4). The command processing section determines whether the EP remaining quantity is not less than the energy consumption (energy necessary for the special ability desired to be used) (step S5). When the EP remaining quantity is not less than the energy consumption, the command processing section executes a process corresponding to the instructed special command (step S6), subtracts the EP consumption from the EP remaining quantity (step S7), and ends the command process. On the other hand, when the EP remaining quantity is insufficient at step S5, the command processing section does not accept the special command (step S8), and ends the command process.
In the conventional game apparatus, in the case where the special ability which consumes the energy (EP) is used, if the energy remaining quantity is smaller than the necessary energy of the special ability desired to be used by the player, such a special ability cannot be used.
The processing method relating to the special abilities shown in the flowchart of FIG. 1 is a publicly-known processing method which can be derived from operation manuals or walk-through manuals of role playing games or the like. Since, however, the applicants of this application do not know technical documents which concretely disclose the above processing method at the time of the application, documents relating to prior arts which should be disclosed are not present.
The conventional computer games such as role playing games adopt a system where exclusive parameter values, such as the “MP” parameter in the case where the special ability of a character is magic and the “AP” parameter in the case where it is the knockout skill, are consumed and used. For example, in the case of magic, the MP consumption is 1 point in the case of magic M1, and is 3 points in the case of magic M2. Namely, the consumption is determined according to types of the skills, and when the MP remaining quantity is smaller than the necessary MP of the magic desired to be used, the magic cannot be used normally.
In recent years in which the techniques and hardware of image processing of three-dimensional computer graphics or the like are being developed, not only simulation type games but also action games and role playing games adopt simulation elements lavishly, so that, for example, motions and backgrounds of objects are simulated more real, thereby displaying a sense of realism.
Although image expression develops securely, most contents of games get into a rut and do not have novel idea because a long time has passed since computer games were realized. For this reason, in any computer games, their game lines tend to be similar, and as to the processing method of special abilities as one example, the offensive pattern or the like is monotonous because common-sense restrictions are provided. As a result, a lot of the computer games are boring.